The Gadsden Baptist Church was organized in 1866. The first building had one room and was built of logs. It was later burned to the ground after being used as an infirmary during a small pox epidemic. A small frame building was then built and used until 1926, when the first section of the present building was built. It was of brick and consisted of a sanctuary with three open alcoves along each side to be used as classrooms. The pulpit was built by Mack Jones, a member of the church. The organist was Mrs. F. M. Henderson, long-time music teacher of children in the town. Since her death, one of her former pupils, Perry M. Carter, has been organist.
Early church rolls included such names as: Rosemon, Bird, Hunter, Daniel, Wallace, Reaves, Jones, Warren, Mitchell, Woodson, Young, Blurton, Strictland, Hopper, Guest, Cornatzer, Sutton, Hays, King, Pearson, Williams, Johnson, Jackson, Simmons, and Nelson. Most of these have descendants still attending the church.
In 1952, two classrooms were added and a large fellowship hall. The vestibule was added to the front of the church in 1956. A new parsonage has just been completed this year. A new piano was purchased in 1961 and the pianist now is Mrs. Erby Cornatzor. The communion set was given by the Family of Mrs. Willis Bolton in 1954, and is still being used. In 1965, a two-story addition was put on the back of the church. In 1972, a new baptistry was added and the first person to be immersed in it was Joyce Ann Henderson.
The preceding article was contributed, with permission of the Crockett County Historical Society, by Natalie Huntley.
This information was taken from an article on Gadsden, which was compiled and written by Mrs. C. C. James, and published in the book Crockett County Courthouse Centennial, 1874 – 1974, prepared by the Crockett County Historical Society.